South County voters approved gay marriage referendum at a higher rate than state

South County voters approved the gay-marriage referendum on the November ballot at a higher rate than the whole state or Snohomish County as a whole.

Voters approved Referendum 74 by a statewide margin of 53.7 percent to 46.3 percent. In Snohomish County, the margin was 53 percent to 47 percent.

Edmonds, Woodway and the nearby unincorporated areas that make up the Snohomish County part of the 7th Congressional District approved the measure by 60.7 percent to 39.3 percent.

Voters in the 32nd Legislative District, including south Edmonds, Woodway and nearby unincorporated areas, Lynnwood and part of Mountlake Terrace, approved the referendum by a 57.7 percent to 42.3 percent margin.

The 21st Legislative District, including most of Edmonds, the north outskirts of Lynnwood, all of Mukilteo and part of south Everett, approved the measure about 57 percent to 43 percent.

Voters in the 1st Legislative District, including most of Mountlake Terrace, all of Brier, the Snohomish County part of Bothell and unincorporated areas north and east of Bothell, approved the referendum 55.7 percent to 44.3 percent.

Rates around the state ranged from about 71 percent in San Juan County to 28 percent in Adams County in southeast Washington.

The measure won approval in nine of the 11 counties that border on Puget Sound and in Whitman County, home of Washington State University. It lost in the other 29 counties.